1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to pneumatic delivery systems of the type intended for delivering small packages from one location to another and, more particularly, to a one-way pneumatic delivery system employing interconnected pipe structures that pneumatically deliver small packages from a plurality of initial locations to a single terminal location. Specifically, the invention relates to a one-way pneumatic delivery system employing a plurality of sending units that are attached via an interconnected duct system to a single receiving unit. A power unit applies a vacuum to the duct system to pneumatically deliver small packages from any of the sending units to the receiving unit.
2. Background Information
Numerous types of pneumatic delivery systems are known and understood in the relevant art. Pneumatic delivery systems typically include a duct system manufactured out of tubes having a circular cross section for delivering containers from initial locations to terminal locations. Such systems operate by applying a vacuum and/or a positive air pressure above ambient pressure to the duct system and, in turn, to the container therein to pneumatically draw and/or push the carrier through the duct system from the initial location to the terminal location.
Such pneumatic delivery systems typically are of either a one-way configuration or a two-way configuration. The one-way configuration is employed whenever delivery is desired only from an initial location to a terminal location. The return of any materials from the terminal location to the initial location must be achieved by hand carrying or through other delivery mechanisms. Such systems are particularly useful, for example, when small packages repeatedly need to be delivered from various locations to a central delivery location such as when numerous cashiers need to periodically deliver packages of cash and checks from cashier locations to a centralized accounting location.
A two-way pneumatic delivery system is a system wherein the container is delivered from an initial location to a terminal location and is then returned from the terminal location back to the initial location after the occurrence of a transaction. Such two-way pneumatic delivery systems are useful, for example, in drive-up banking applications wherein it is desired that the customer place deposit materials and/or a withdrawal slip into a container and deliver the container from an initial location at a drive-up window outside the bank to a terminal location inside the bank where the transaction is conducted by a teller upon receipt of the container at the terminal location. After the transaction has been completed, the teller returns the container through the duct system from the terminal location to the customer at the initial location.
The present invention is particularly directed to a one-way pneumatic delivery system. One-way pneumatic delivery systems typically include ducts or pipes having that extend from each of the initial locations to the terminal location with a vacuum and/or high pneumatic pressure being applied to the pipe to deliver a carrier inserted at the initial location through the pipe for delivery to the terminal location. The duct system typically includes individual pipes running from each initial location to the terminal location inasmuch as the vacuum and/or high pneumatic pressure must be applied to each pipe and must be of sufficient strength and with minimal leakage to ensure that the container is delivered completely through the pipe from the initial location to the terminal location without becoming stuck inside the pipe. Inasmuch as such pipes typically extend through walls, above ceilings, and below floors, such systems must be designed to ensure that the vacuum and/or high pneumatic pressure is consistently and reliably applied to the pipe such that the carrier never becomes lost or stuck within the pipe. As such, one-way pneumatic delivery systems have heretofore been designed with individual pipes or ducts running from each initial location to the terminal location.
While existing one-way pneumatic delivery systems are effective for their intended purposes, such one-way pneumatic delivery systems have not, however, been without limitation. For instance, the use of individual tubes running from each initial location to the terminal location results in a significant number of tubes disposed at the terminal location, each of which extends only to a single initial location. Such a quantity of tubes at the receiving location is typically cumbersome and requires significant space. Each such tube must be concealed behind a wall, ceiling, or other such structure, with such concealment needing to be performed in conjunction with the concealment of electrical wiring, communication systems, plumbing systems, and heating systems, as well as other materials that must be disposed behind walls and above ceilings such as insulation and lighting structures. As such, the concealment of such numerous pipes is expensive and must compete for concealment space with other necessary structures. Moreover, the cost of such quantities of pipe and the labor required to conceal it can be prohibitive. Still further, a relatively large vacuum source and/or compressed air source must be provided to supply a vacuum and/or high pneumatic pressure to one or more of the pneumatic tubes simultaneously. The size of such vacuum and/or high pressure systems is dictated by the number of tubes extending between the initial location and the terminal location, the distance between the initial locations and the terminal location, as well as the weight of the container that is being delivered through each of the tubes. It is thus desired to provide an improved one-way pneumatic delivery system that eliminates the need for individual tubes to run from each initial location to the terminal location and that can employ a relatively smaller power unit to pneumatically drive the container from the initial location to the terminal location.